Five Players to Watch: FedEx St. Jude Classic

Harris English is among the top 5 players to watch at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. (Photo by John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports/Reuters. Picture Supplied by Action Images. )

In the mood for some blues and barbecue?

This is your week with the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn., which doesn’t have the strongest field of the year but it does offer plenty of enticements away from the course.

Coming off the Memorial Tournament and just before the big, bad U.S. Open at Oakmont, this week is relatively short on star power but long on opportunity.

Here are five to watch at TPC Southwind:

5. Zac Blair: Let’s take a flier with this pick. Blair was in contention at the Memorial until he shot 75 last Sunday. Maybe he will play the role of William McGirt this week.

4. Gary Woodland: Here’s a guy on a nice roll, having finished T12 and T4 in his past two starts. Woodland is really talented but is evidence of how difficult it is to win.

3. Harris English: He finished second in his most recent start, the Dean & DeLuca Invitational and has the look of a guy ready for a productive summer. English stays under the radar much of the time but that may not be possible this week.

2. Phil Mickelson: He likes to play his way into major championships and he likes Memphis. Mickelson wasn’t entirely sharp at the Memorial but his ballstriking made him happy. With one eye on Oakmont, Mickelson will be working to get everything dialed in this week.

1. Dustin Johnson: He had a chance to win last week at Muirfield Village before a ragged finish but it feels like just a matter of time before DJ wins again. He insists what happened at Chambers Bay last summer hasn’t stayed with him. This could be the proper prep for another run at the U.S. Open.